Lose 5 Pounds A Month- May 2010 Challenge

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  • JABehler
    JABehler Posts: 82 Member
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    Morning all,
    Well this "anti-gym" lady joined a gym. Hubby is looking forward to a knee replacement in Aug. and his doc wanted him to start physical therapy way before surgery then send him to rehab. for a couple of weeks, and then back to more physical therapy. So we chose a gym near by that had a physical theraphy bus. in house. How convienent.
    Well, if I take him down and have to stay I might as well do something while there. I guess I could read. Anyway we got a couple membership. I went to my first spin class last night. I'm still looking to new exercises other than just walking the mile section. Well, let me tell you, this spin class kicked my butt. :noway:
    Plan to go back next Monday... can't make it to earlier classes. Maybe this will help me to become somewhat of a runner. My daughter would like me to run the City of Hope 5k with her in Oct. We usually walk it.
    This weekend is the Komen Race for the Cure. I'll be walking for my mom and cousin. :drinker:
    Jacque
  • ukredhead19
    ukredhead19 Posts: 176
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    Hope it's not too late to join!! :) I, like others, have just started using this website--and am feeling comfortable enough with it that I want to participate in challenges too!! :) My current weight, OMGosh--I can't believe I'm saying it--is 171.8 so that means by the end of May I WILL get down to 166.8--that will be the lightest I've been in a long, long time!! :)
    Since January, I've lost 22 lbs--my brother's girlfriend got me started in running--I ran my first 5K on my 30th bday--that was a hoot!! Since then--I have registered for 2 more that will be in May--so hopefully that helps with getting my weight down for this month!! :)

    What a great way to celebrate your 30th birthday! that's inspiring, congrats on your great losses already, keep it up!
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    After finally reading the NYTimes article from the weekend before last where they discussed recent research findings that exercise doesn't help women lose weight (it does men) but helps us keep it off, I am going to greatly reduce my weekly calorie intake but relax the exercise a little - will still walk approximately 3 miles / 50 minutes per day and will do my daily morning

    Let's do it! :bigsmile:

    ~ Shivaun

    I am a bit perplexed by this article you mention. EXERCISE DOES NOT HELP US LOSE WEIGHT. How can that be? It helps to burn more calories than we take in. Did you find it online so you could post a link? I would really love to read that article. I know there are a bunch of other benefits to exercise but it goes against everything I have ever read that it will not help us to lose weight.

    Thanks,

    Terri
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Never mind I found the article it has some interesting ideas. I need to read in more in depth to totally get all the ideas it generates.

    Thanks mentioning this so I could read some different ideas.

    I think one think I gleaned in a quick reading is that do no fool yourself that because you work out you can eat all that you want. Many exercisers think that they can eat more because they work out but you still need to get that calorie count in check and to lose burn more than you eat.

    Terri
  • katieann2
    katieann2 Posts: 26
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    Exercise is good for you;

    NEVER USE IT TO PUNISH YOURSELF FOR EATING TOO MUCH OR EARN THE RIGHT TO EAT MORE!




    EATING SHOULD NOT BE USE FOR REWARD FOR EXERCISING!

    EAT ONLY TO SATISFY HUNGER!
  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
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    Terri, I read that last week as well and found it very interesting. I have many friends who do jog together then go to a coffee house for a muffin or treat just like the example the writer used. I never would have thought of it as unhealthy before I started on this path but now that I know better I have told them many times I would pass on the trip just because I knew I would have a hard time being strong as they munched! Of course if you burn 300 calories running then eat a 650 calorie muffin you will not lose. I hate that yummy muffins are so high in calories! :laugh:

    Robin, we talked some last week about how we both weigh a bit more on Mondays. Well, as I told you I would, I passed up getting on the scale this time yesterday and got on today instead. I was shocked but happy to see that you were so right! I weighed a bit less than 1/2 a lb lower than I did at my Friday weigh in! :love: Thanks for the great advise to keep off on Mondays! I feel so great right now.:bigsmile:
  • gmhiggins
    gmhiggins Posts: 2
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    Count me in!!!
  • jtenbensel
    jtenbensel Posts: 12 Member
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    I like that--Eat only to satisfy your hunger!! So very, very true!!
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    Robin, we talked some last week about how we both weigh a bit more on Mondays. Well, as I told you I would, I passed up getting on the scale this time yesterday and got on today instead. I was shocked but happy to see that you were so right! I weighed a bit less than 1/2 a lb lower than I did at my Friday weigh in! :love: Thanks for the great advise to keep off on Mondays! I feel so great right now.:bigsmile:

    Jenn,

    Yay!. I just think that Monday shows my change in water drinking and since of routine that I follow the rest of the week that is missing on the weekends. Monday depresses me so Tuesday is good. For me sometimes it won't return to normal until Wed or even Thurs but I always know it will. Good job. I am a pound down from Friday so I can't wait to see what the rest of the week will bring.
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Exercise is good for you;

    NEVER USE IT TO PUNISH YOURSELF FOR EATING TOO MUCH OR EARN THE RIGHT TO EAT MORE!




    EATING SHOULD NOT BE USE FOR REWARD FOR EXERCISING!

    EAT ONLY TO SATISFY HUNGER!

    I don't ever see exercise as a punishment. I don't use it punish myself for indulging, but do know that if I indulge I don't have to feel bad or guilty because there are ways to make up for my slip ups. Even this months Shape magazine says you can makeup for those slip ups or indulgences by exercising a few more minutes. For me it is so fun to see if I can longer or faster or both.

    I agree that exercise is good for you. If your only reason to workout is to lose weight you are going to stop exercising when you reach your goal. And guess what? You will gain back that weight because you have not learned to balance diet and exercise. The article talks about exercise to maintain. I think that is so much more important if exercise was a big part of your weight loss.

    I personally exercise a little more than most, but that is because I like to cook and experiment in the kitchen. That little bit of exercise allows me to taste the things I make. And I will admit not all the recipes that I try are healthy but once made I try to experiment with ways to make a recipe more healthy.

    Have a great night! Drink your water! Eat healthy!

    Terri
  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
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    Terri your one smart cookie! I agree with everything you said. I didn't use to exercise, so when I started, I started slow and hated every min of it. Now I love exercise and try to get a little in everyday. I feel so much better now that it is a part of my life and I enjoy spending time doing things that are more active with my kids.
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    Exercise s almost like a drug to me. I love it. I feel so good and I always try to burn more which is very hard for me because I can't get my heartrate up very high. It hangs out around 100-105 when I walk I can push it to an average of 138 when I run hard. Even aerobics classes like Zumba and I don't get it real high. So I exercise a lot to get my 1000 calories per day. AT least I have the time right now. I will miss it when I don't have the hours to do it anymore.
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
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    I am so happy I joined this group. I am home all day watching my 9 month old nephew, and I have become addicted to MFP (and daytime TV) in the process. None of my forum pals can keep up with me but you guys are back and forth all day. It's great!
  • katieann2
    katieann2 Posts: 26
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    I agree that exercise is a must to continue to lose and maintain weight lost. All things in moderation!!

    To tie it to food can make you look at food as a reward or comfort for all of life's ups and downs. Using food or exercise as a reward or punishment can create failure!

    All should eat the recommended calories and exercise sensible!!
  • siobhannestor
    siobhannestor Posts: 177
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    Any tips welcomed- particularly on how you get enough iron, I don't really enjoy meat, eat plenty of vegetables but stuggle to get enough iron..

    I was vegetarian for awhile but added meat back into my diet when I started a heavy lifting program (needed 30% of my calories to come from protein.) I still do not eat much meat. The things vegetarians have to worry about are iron and b12. My multivitamin had iron, and I took a b12 supplement. I don't know how much/little meat you eat but you may need to take a b12 supplement as well.

    Cool, thanks, I take a multi-vitamin with Iron. But I only really eat chicken, minced beef, and fish,, I don't really enjoy anything else other than the really bad stuff like sausages and bacon (rashers), so I'm trying to stay away from them. I make sure I have a breakfast cereal in the morning, as my doctor recommended that, but without the supplement, I'm only getting about 30% of my RDA of iron if I'm lucky,, I know that's not good!!

    One thing that can help increase the iron you take in from food (supplemental iron can really "stop up" the digestive system) is to cook in old-fashioned iron cookware. Particularly tomatoes, which absorb iron from the pan/pot and make it available in pretty easy to absorb form. I also am always low in my iron intake as, while I eat protein at every meal, I tend to use it as a "condiment" rather than the main course. A good woman's multi should also help - they generally don't contain so much iron as to constipate.
  • siobhannestor
    siobhannestor Posts: 177
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    I am a bit perplexed by this article you mention. EXERCISE DOES NOT HELP US LOSE WEIGHT. How can that be? It helps to burn more calories than we take in. Did you find it online so you could post a link? I would really love to read that article. I know there are a bunch of other benefits to exercise but it goes against everything I have ever read that it will not help us to lose weight.

    Thanks,

    Terri

    Terri,

    I know that you found the article but decided to also post the link, just in case others are interested. For me exercise has pretty much been a constant throughout my life - I studied dance for many years - high school, college and well after. I usually walk to and from work (3-4 miles depending upon my first site of the AM), do a morning stretch, regular conditioning/weight training (can easily do 100 push ups in a session). I also love the feeling of exhausting myself physically. But I've never found that it helps me lose weight - it does increase my hunger. So the article was helpful for me to read because it provided a scientific explanation for what I'd been experiencing. I have always been much more likely to lose weight when I continue with my regular routine but cut down on calories. That seems to be even more the case now that I am approaching my mid-50's.

    Anyway, for those who are interested in reading the article, here is the link:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18exercise-t.html?scp=1&sq=weight loss exercise women&st=cse

    BTW, I am spending several days a week a little hungry, but the weight seems to be finally coming off again! This month will tell. In the meantime, am trying to get enough sleep during a really heavy work period. Cross your fingers - it's these periods of too much work and too little sleep that I find usually pack on the pounds. If I can even lose just a few, I will consider the month a success!

    Shivaun
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Good morning everyone.

    Was just watching the travel channel. Did you know that 116 is the average number of donuts eaten by Americans every year?! :noway: For once I am glad that I am below average:laugh:

    The following is from the NY Tims article

    "Streaming through much of the science and advice about exercise and weight loss is a certain Puritan streak, a sense that exercise, to be effective in keeping you slim, must be of almost medicinal dosage — an hour a day, every day; plenty of brisk walking; frequent long runs on the treadmill. But the very latest science about exercise and weight loss has a gentler tone and a more achievable goal. “Emerging evidence suggests that ­unlike bouts of moderate-vigorous activity, low-intensity ambulation, standing, etc., may contribute to daily energy expenditure without triggering the caloric compensation effect,” Braun wrote in the American College of Sports Medicine newsletter."

    This I find interesting so basically it is the more intense exercise that causes appetite to increase but low-intensity walking and just plain standing instead of sitting burns more calories but does not increase hunger. And finally

    "In a completed but unpublished study conducted in his energy-metabolism lab, Braun and his colleagues had a group of volunteers spend an entire day sitting. If they needed to visit the bathroom or any other location, they spun over in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, in a second session, the same volunteers stood all day, “not doing anything in particular,” Braun says, “just standing.” The difference in energy expenditure was remarkable, representing “hundreds of calories,” Braun says, but with no increase among the upright in their blood levels of ghrelin or other appetite hormones. Standing, for both men and women, burned multiple calories but did not ignite hunger. One thing is going to become clear in the coming years, Braun says: if you want to lose weight, you don’t necessarily have to go for a long run. “Just get rid of your chair."

    I need to get higher tables so that it is easier to type on the computer while standing up!:laugh: :laugh:

    Have a great and healthy day, get some more standing done and burn some more calories.

    Terri
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    I forgot to post this again:ohwell: So now I will. Someone asked a few days ago how this challenge works. So basically this is how we have done it the last few months.

    We report our weight on the first on the month. '

    Then we check in every Friday. Many people have a different weight-in day than Friday. You can post on that day instead (we are pretty informal)

    I suggest to you to also take your measurements (like waist, neck, hips, thighs, arm, chest...) Sometimes people get frustrated because the scale is not moving but you may see the numbers on the tape go down before the numbers on the scale. I measure once a month. To give you an example of this my husband is training for his first marathon. He keeps complaining that even with all the running he is doing he is not losing weight. But I can tell he is looking thinner and he says he keeps getting compliments as work. He is building muscle and the weight is redistributing on his body.

    On a totally different topic. Last night we were watching the Biggest Loser. During the reveals of the contestants after the makeovers. I kept commenting how good everyone looked, including the guys. My husband came home right after the reveal but while the singing was happening. He made a comment about how good Sunshine was looking. My 10 year old son looks at me as says "Aren't you going to get mad at him he is looking at other women?' What?:noway: I had just spent time before that saying the same thing about all the other contestants and he had no problem with that. 10 year olds!:tongue:
  • Elokyn
    Elokyn Posts: 448 Member
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    I'm gonna pump it up tonight :) Plan on doing my 30 day shred and then either going for a bike ride or mowing the yard. I finally got over my plateu and lost half a pound.....hey half a pound is half a pound!! lol It's gonna be GREAAATT :D

    Edit: oh and I'm just not comfortable enough to say my weight but I swear I'm honest!!! :)
  • ukredhead19
    ukredhead19 Posts: 176
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    No more excuses...finals are over and it's time to jump on the exercising train. I think I'm going to start with walking with the baby in a jogging stroller. It's going to be 80+ degrees here and sunny today...so no excuses!!

    That's my biggest challenge with such limited time (working full time) with my son, I don't want to waste any of those couple of hours a day we get together.... SO I am just going to have to figure out how we can do both!

    PS..i'm bad and weigh myself everyday, I can't help it..for me it is motivating. Anyways I am down 3lbs since Sunday...that's nuts and I'm eating my calories! I guess its just a good week, now just to keep it up and maintain through the weekend!

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